“There's no place like home”, or so the saying goes. But a home away from home may just be the next best thing. Many hostels today have injected the sentiment and feeling of "home" into their establishments, and while travelling is all about getting out of your comfort zone, a homely hostel can be a blessing when you've been trekking for months and living out of a backpack. Especially when you've had your fill of the old school, no-frills, perhaps a little stale, hostel environment. Here's our pick of Budapest hostels which are cheap and cheerful and offer a homely, familial, and cosy vibe. Enjoy.

Hostels have evolved big time over the past couple of decades. The no-frills, rough-'n'-ready domain of the old-school backpacker is a dying breed and today hostels often rival, indeed, surpass in many instances, 'hotel-standard' quality in terms of facilities and style. With this evolution from the traditional hostel, different types of hostels have emerged – be it Eco/sustainable hostels, party hostels, homely hostels, activity hostels, boutique/design hostels and so on. There are a few important things within a hostel owner's control that define the tone and character of their hostel.

Budapest is a happening city, full of activity and home to a vibrant social scene. It's a city waiting to be explored & embraced and there's no better way to do that than with like-minded people. Hostels are, by their very nature, social spaces but some have better managed to nurture a social atmosphere than others. Here's our list of Budapest hostels where meeting fellow backpackers is easily done, and done in style!